As the United States decided to dispatch about 2,500 Marines and amphibious assault ships to the Middle East, attention is focusing on the role these troops will take on. The news broke right after the bombing of Kharg Island, a key node in Iran's oil supply chain, prompting some to suggest that U.S. ground combat is imminent.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 15th (local time) that up to three warships carrying about 2,500 Marines will move from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East to join the roughly 50,000 troops already deployed.
The reinforcements are said to include the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, homeported in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture.
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is the only permanently forward-deployed expeditionary force in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a rapid maneuver unit that would be the first to deploy in the event of a Korean Peninsula contingency, it uses amphibious ships and aviation assets to push into North Korea's interior and strike key facilities. Recently, it took part in the annual U.S.-Japan joint exercise "Iron Fist."
Axios reported that while the Marine expeditionary unit can conduct ground operations, a U.S. official declined to discuss that possibility. Some also say that if the Marine buildup leads to a large-scale ground deployment, the political cost for Trump would be too high.
Among supporters of Trump's "MAGA (Make America Great Again)" camp, there is strong resistance to overseas military intervention, especially deploying ground troops to the Middle East. Because the Marines could also perform missions such as embassy security, disaster relief, and assisting with civilian evacuations, it is hard to conclude that the troop movement is a clear signal of imminent ground war.
With both the United States and Iran reportedly rejecting third-country mediation for a cease-fire, some see both sides preparing for a protracted conflict. Reuters reported that Oman and Egypt, which have mediated U.S.-Iran tensions, tried to open dialogue channels but made no progress. The U.S. State Department has offered rewards of up to $10 million (about 15 billion won) for information on Mojtaba Khamenei, newly selected as Iran's supreme leader, and others, while Iran is not backing down from its will to fight.